(1) Field of the Invention
The field of this invention encompasses dental articulators and methods for using them.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Articulators have been utilized in the dental industry since at least the nineteenth century. Basically, they are used by technicians to make artificial dentures.
Early hinged articulators are found in U.S. Pat. No. 537,812 which was issued to Bragg on Apr. 23, 1895. Bragg's invention combined the articulators and vulcanizing flasks.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, a number of relevant improvements were made.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,151, which was issued to Whelan on Mar. 27, 1984, the hinged articulators included a pair of curved trays, each having an upwardly extending portion which extended from a base of the curved tray. See FIGS. 1 and 4, in particular.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,095 was issued to Callne on Apr. 9, 1996, for a dental cast tray subassembly hinged to another tray subassembly to form an articulator. Each subassembly included an elongated arcuate protuberance extending from a bottom wall within a canal of the subassembly. This feature is shown best in FIGS. 2-4.
Eventually, manufacturers began to make more complex dental articulators which used multiple pins. However, these pins often fell out and frustrated dental technicians. Two examples are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,143 was issued to Kuperman on Aug. 19, 1997, for a hinged articulator. Each arch had both dowel and support pins.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0204920 was published in the name of Costello on Sep. 14, 2006, for a hinged articulator. Each tray support had a curved or arching wall. FIG. 1 depicts a hinged articulator in a closed position. Note the use of numerous pins.
Currently available commercial products for dental technicians are depicted in the Pearson 2011 Laboratory Catalog. Articulators are illustrated on pages 65 and 66. Relevant examples are G-Base disposable articulators, Dental Ventures plastic glue-on articulators, Premier disposable articulators, and Mono Trac articulation models.
Hydroponic Systems sells online its C Bite plastic articulators at hydroponicsonline.com/store/CBITE directly to dental labs.
Despite all of these advances, it remains a problem for dental labs to use an articulator which is uncomplicated and easy to manipulate.